Page 54 of Faking it With A Grumpy Billionaire

It’s not like any of these clients were really here for business; most were here to show off their wealth. If I really wanted to close a deal with any of them, I could easily do that without having to be here.

So once again, why was I here?

But then again, where was I supposed to be?

“Where am I supposed to be, Charles?”

“At her place, young lad. At her place, begging for her forgiveness, whatever it is that you did. You need to put your ego aside, Will, because trust me and mark my words, you’re never going to find another woman like Elizabeth, a woman who is down to earth, not after your wealth and fame but your well-being. A woman who is ready to support you every step of the way and is willing to tolerate your shortcomings. You and I know you have a lot of them, eh?” Charles chuckled slightly, causing me to laugh as well. “So you know what to do, Will. Go to her. Ask for her forgiveness and let her know how much you care about her.”

With each of his words weighing on my heart, I knew what I had to do next.

“Thank you so much, Charles! Thank you! Thank you very much!”

I quickly set my glass on a passing waiter’s tray before rushing out of the venue and heading straight to my car. I needed to put my ego aside, and Charles was right. If you want something, you go for it. You don’t sit back waiting for the day it comes to you.

I wanted Elizabeth, and I was determined to pursue her, regardless of what the future held for us.

Chapter twenty-five

Elizabeth

As I forced myself out of bed, I walked over to my dresser and settled onto the stool in front of the mirror. Looking at myself, I felt ashamed of my appearance. It was hard to believe that I had promised myself never to cry over a man again since my last breakup in high school.

To be fair, my high school relationship wasn’t really much of a relationship. I mean, everyone would understand my point.

This one with Will was different.

As I picked up wipes to clean my face, I looked at myself closely. The image of that woman with Will flashed through my mind, as it had been doing for the past three days, causing my heart to ache even further. I used the wipes to wipe away the tears from my face.

Of course, I had myself to blame. Had my mother not warned me never to trust men? After my high school breakup, she had advised me to prioritize my life and career, assuring me that everything else would fall into place.

What was I thinking? That Will was in love with me? Oh, what a fantasy.

I was so lost in my thoughts and fantasies that I failed to see it was all a facade—a mere contract, if I might say.

Never trust boys. All they do is break your heart. All you need to do is focus on your studies, graduate from university, and work toward securing a good job for yourself. Live your life, and enjoy the good things of life. At that point, the real men will look for you.

Those were my mother’s words of advice back then, and now they seemed to be applicable in this situation.

How stupid of you to think he actually liked you, Elizabeth. Men like Will don’t end up with women like yourself. They end up with women of their caliber. They end up with established women, women who are beautiful on all sides and can afford to buy their designer shoes and bags. Not women who can barely afford to maintain their lifestyle.

I told myself the truth, even though it hurt. I mean, he had made this a contract to start with, and I had gotten so lost in that world that I began to see it as my own. How foolish was I!

I guess the women at the party the other day were right. They had been kind enough to spill the truth, but I had been too deaf to listen. I wasn’t in their social class, and honestly, Will could have chosen someone more suitable, someone better than me.

But of course, who else would have agreed to such an offer if not a struggling lady like myself? Embarrassed of myself as I looked in the mirror, I bowed my head down as the tears began to flow out more. All the self-worth I had painstakingly built crumbled right before my eyes. The confidence I thought I had was also crumbling right in front of me.

As my walls went up, it seemed like the best thing to do was to bury myself in my own space, shutting out the world. One can only imagine the repercussions if what happened three days ago were to be revealed—that Will cheated on me. I was certain people would still support Will.

I could literally read the comments in my head.

Will finally realizes the kind of woman he wants.

Billionaire mogul ends things with his fiancée.

Certainly, all the women who had been waiting for this day to come would surely be pleased to see that it was finally over between us.

Letting out another breath, I pulled myself together, having cried enough. Crying was not going to solve anything. I had cried enough, and now it was time for me to think about what was next.

---